PROFESSIONAL EFFORT

When his dream of playing in the majors became a faded memory, 36-year-old Steve Sigler decided that there should be more to life-after-high-school than playing softball and drinking beer.

Thanks to his efforts, there are currently almost 3,000 Men's Senior Baseball League teams throughout the country playing organized baseball in 280 professionally-run programs.

"It's a great organization, very well-run," said Michael Dugan, of Boca Raton. "And it is absolutely more satisfying - much more competitive - than softball."

Dugan, 42, plays for the Broward Reds, one of 32 teams in the tri-county South Florida Baseball League and an MSBL affiliate.

Like all of the national organization clubs, SFBL is divided into two divisions, the original 30-and-over MSBL and the fledgling Men's Adult Baseball League for players 18 and over.

While the average age in the South Florida league's MSBL division is about 35, some players are in their 50s and 60s. The average age of MABL players is about 26.

According to Mickey Filippucci, SFBL president and owner [yes, this is a pay-to-play, money-making business), he founded the South Florida organization to provide men a lifelong baseball experience.

"Ideally, we'll be able to take them right out of high school or college, and they can stay in our league until they retire," he said.

Most men in the league today, however, like Dugan, suffered through a long hiatus from baseball before finding an MSBL organization.

"I hadn't played baseball since I was 18," Dugan said. "Then I didn't start again until I was 38."

But, Dugan, a TV writer, probably has one of the more colorful stories of re-discovering baseball.

He was a writer for several TV programs, including some popular soaps, such as Santa Barbara, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital.

"I was playing on the Days of Our Lives softball team," he said. "One of the producers talked me into playing baseball."

He played in the MSBL-affiliate Burbank, Calif. league for awhile, then moved to South Florida where he discovered the SFBL.

Now Dugan can be found almost any Sunday behind the plate or in the outfield playing "competitive but friendly" SFBL ball.

"You get mad when you lose, get over it in two minutes, laugh and go out and have a beer," he said.

The professionally-run SFBL features competitive action every Sunday at some of South Florida's best facilities. It shares Hollywood's Dowdy Field, for example, with college and semi-pro teams, and also plays at Homestead's Sports Complex and Flamingo Park in South Beach.

Its weekly newsletter, The Baseball Buzz, features articles and individual leader-boards, as well as recaps of all SFBL scores and team standings.

Comparisons to the majors is inevitable when describing SFBL, from its live draft system and pre-season games, to its Cy Young Awards and summer All-Star Game. There's also a monthly scouting report, detailing each player's offensive performance, and an up-to-the-minute, 24-hour SFBL Hotline.

Filippucci said membership in the national MSBL organization provides its affiliates with benefits including a $2 million liability policy and opportunities to play in major regional and national tournaments, perhaps even the MSBL World Series.

All games are officiated by Division-I college umpires, the same guys who call balls and strikes for the University of Miami Hurricanes.

"Because it's run for profit, we can provide top-quality service, the best fields and real sports management," Filippucci said. "What other league can order 100 dozen balls at a time, with their own logo on them?" The level of competition in the tri-county organization increases every season, he said. "But, the league is for the average Joe," he said. "Many of them haven't played for 15 years or more so they struggle the first few weeks, but then they're fine."

Because there are no practice sessions, most of SFBL's weekend warriors hone their skills in batting cages during the week. Probably just as well, since most players also have busy real careers.

"I've got a telecommunications manager, an accountant, a corporate executive, a police officer, an electrician, a bartender and a film producer on the team," said Dodgers' Manager Tom Cannes. "And it's a pretty good team, too. We made the playoffs last season."

For more information about SFBL, contact Fillipucci at 305-667-7325, or by E-mail at msbl-miami(AT)aol.com. For information about MSBL or MABL, call (516) 753-6725, or visit its new website at www.msbl.com.